Last Time for Everything
by Mylee
Summary: The Bob-Whites are spending the last day together before Jim and Brian leave for college.


**Author's Note:**

So...I've been stuck at home for the past few days, recovering from a torn muscle in my calf! Ouch! I haven't been able to do much of anything at all. While I was listening to XM yesterday, Brad Paisley's song came on. It was the inspiration for this story. It's a one-shot and it's completely self-edited. I apologize in advance for any mistakes/typos/etc. I hope you enjoy the story!

 **Last Time for Everything**

The August sun had set a while ago. Its loss had turned the sky into a wide expanse of darkening gray with only a thin sliver of the moon in sight. The only light came from the burning logs of the fire pit, set safely away from the dock. Seven chairs had been arranged strategically around the fire in a wide circle. The laughter that had ruled the afternoon had gradually faded away. Every one of them knew that the time was fast approaching but none of the seven wanted to call an end to their day together. Not even the encroachment of the coming dark could deter them. It was the last time they would all be together like this for a very long time. Melancholy hung like a thick blanket in the air, matching the summer humidity perfectly.

Ignoring the mosquitoes flying around, Trixie poked absently at the fire with a long stick, uncharacteristically quiet and unusually reserved. No one called her on it. Her beautiful blue eyes, normally sparkling with laughter and good humor, glinted with just a soft hint of tears as she watched a bright red ember pop and then fly up into the night air. It floated away on a nearly non-existent late summer breeze, reminding her of the fact that two of their group would be leaving. Tomorrow. Her breathing hitched while her heart gave a painful stutter. Sleepyside just wasn't going to be the same. What would they do without Brian and Jim? She didn't need to look at the others to know that the upcoming departure was weighing heavily on their minds, too. Biting back a sigh, she dropped the stick and nervously played with the frayed edges of her cut-off shorts.

"Looks like the Yankees have come out of their slump," Dan announced suddenly, fracturing the overwhelming quiet that was enveloping them and swinging all eyes towards him. Unconcerned with being the recipient of everyone's attention, he nonchalantly took a sip from his can of soda.

"About time," Mart replied after recovering from his brief shock that someone had dared to interrupt the silence. Leaning back in his chair, he absently picked at the towel across his lap and decided that discussing the mundane may be exactly what their group of seven needed right now. It couldn't hurt, he realized with a philosophical shrug. Anything was better than facing the unavoidable. "They're going to have to pick up the pace if they want to make it to the postseason."

"Daddy's taking us to a game when they return to New York next week," Di exclaimed, curling her legs underneath her as she did her part to keep the conversation flowing and grateful that she could contribute something to the conversation. "Larry and Terry firmly believe they are good luck charms. Every time we've gone to a game, they've won!"

"With the way this season is going, they need all the good luck they can get!" Brian put in, shaking his head a little as he picked up a stone and turned it around in his hand.

Silence reigned supreme as the conversation dwindled away yet again. Honey breathed out a little sigh as she risked a glance towards the two who would be leaving in the morning. They both looked…stoic. Completely opposite of the carefree, laughing young men from earlier in the day. Someone had to bring it up, she figured with a small shrug of her thin shoulders. It might as well be her. Clearing her throat, she asked in her soothing, gentle way, "What time do you leave in the morning?"

Instantly she became the recipient of all eyes. Someone to her left let out a sharp gasp of shock, as if they couldn't believe she'd brought up the subject that should not be named. She wasn't sure if it was Di or Trixie. Or maybe it was Mart. It could have been any one of them. They were all sitting on her left side. Honey met each gaze, tossed up her hands, and declared bravely, "Hey, come on, guys. It has to be addressed, you know. Ignoring it isn't going to make it go away."

"No. No it's not." Hell, leaving Sleepyside was going to be so much harder than he'd ever anticipated it to be. Jim ran an agitated hand through his hair. No, he hadn't anticipated how the waning hours before his departure would make him feel. He'd only thought of the exhilaration. It had started with his acceptance letter to NYU. Early acceptance. Then his excitement had increased when he found out Brian was going to the same university, too. And it had only grown after visiting the campus, registering for classes, and then having his parents surprise both him and Brian with a big apartment for their four years in the city, only half a block away from the university. They had all celebrated the news together; each person in their group happy, excited, and thrilled for them. But, as the last week of their summer had slowly drifted on by, all of them had finally, finally, started to understand that the dynamics of their group were changing. It wasn't going to be the same, not like it had been. Not ever again. No school bus rides together. No leisurely rides through the preserve, any time anyone felt like it. No lunches at their table in the cafeteria or quick greetings in the hallways between classes. No homework help or meetings at the clubhouse. It was going to be different. Much different. He was pretty damn certain that no one liked it, even though it was inevitable.

"We leave tomorrow at nine," Brian answered quietly. Less than twelve hours away, he noted after a quick glance down at his watch, but he didn't share it. Twelve hours and he'd be a college student. Sleepyside would still be his home but it wouldn't be _home_. Not for the next few years. To him, that was a big difference. As he looked at the faces staring back at him, he could tell they felt the same way.

"Yeah. Moms is making a big breakfast. She's pulling out all the stops. Pancakes, waffles, bacon, sausage, and any type of egg anyone could ever want," Mart announced into the stilted silence. For the first time in his life, he didn't find the thought of food appealing. He slowly stood up from his chair, stretching out the kinks from sitting for so long, and swallowed back a small sigh. He was going to miss his big brother very much. "Everyone's welcome to come. She'll have everything ready by 7:30."

"Hmm. I can taste the pancakes now." Dan rubbed his stomach, hoping to alleviate some of the overwhelming emotion gripping their normally easy-going group. "Delicious."

Out of all them, the least likely to stand up and make a public declaration of any kind was Diana Lynch. She was generally known as the quiet one, the one least likely to cause a stir. She definitely did not like being the center of attention. But she was the one who stood up. Surprising herself most of all, she was the one who gave a voice to what all of them were thinking. "I don't want tomorrow to come. I don't want either of you to go!"

Overcoming his shock quickly, Mart moved towards her and dropped a comforting arm over her shoulder, proud of the fact that she'd been the one to articulate his thoughts. He glanced at the two who would be leaving. "That was the best speech I've ever heard, Di. Short, simple and to the point. I think we all feel the same way. Even our soon-to-be college freshmen over there."

Jim exchanged a pointed look with Brian before he nodded. "Yeah," he agreed, slowly unfurling his long body from the comfortable chair. "It's a big change. I think I can safely say that we're both very nervous about the next few days. I'm just grateful we're going to go through it together."

Unable to take it any longer, Honey shot out of her seat and threw her arms around her brother. She buried her head in his chest, hoping no one would see the glistening of tears in her large, topaz-colored eyes. Her voice came out, low and muffled and clogged with emotion, "It seems like just yesterday that you came to live with us, Jim! I can't believe it's gone by so fast."

"We've had some great times," Jim murmured soothingly as he hugged her to him. He looked in the direction of the one responsible for all those great times but she was stubbornly studying the ground. The ends of one lip curled up in a poor imitation of his famous lopsided grin. Controlling her emotions was difficult for her, as he well knew. He inwardly applauded the way she was valiantly keeping it together. She was easily the spark plug of their group, the one who made things happen. The one who got them into, and out of, trouble of all sorts and sizes. Amazingly enough, she did it all without much effort. It just seemed to happen, anytime they were around her. What the hell was he going to do without her as a constant in his life? He didn't know. He was going to miss her so damn much.

Brian's chuckle was hoarse. He spread out his arms to include everyone while he declared, "Yeah. We've had the very best times together."

The rest of the Bob-Whites gathered around Jim and Honey. He looked at the faces of his friends, the best friends he had ever had, and felt his grin grow wider. "It'll be okay, everyone," he spoke, unsure if he was reassuring them or himself. "We'll be back, just as soon as we can. Not much is going to be different. Not really. Not when you think about it."

"You're right, Jim! And there are modern technological advances. This is the twenty-first century, you know," Mart chimed in, determined not to let emotion overwhelm him, although he didn't protest when Di slipped her smaller hand into his. He gave her a reassuring squeeze before expanding on the many different possibilities available to them, "Emails, texts, phone calls, video chats, social media, good, old-fashioned letter writing. Plus it's not like they are going to be that far away from Sleepyside. We can practically snap our fingers and get into the city from here." He snapped his own fingers to show just how easy it could be.

"That's a bit of an exaggeration," Dan countered with a sarcastic roll of his eyes but appreciative of Mart's efforts to lighten the mood.

"I guess, I guess…" Di took a deep breath to calm herself before she tried again to explain how she was feeling. "I guess I just don't like change all that much. Change hasn't always been that nice to me." A short grimace crossed her pretty features. She didn't like thinking of the years when her father had first come into his money. The changes her parents had instigated had been so hard for her to adjust to. She doubted if she ever would have been successfully able to, if it wasn't for the six standing with her. Yeah, change wasn't something she looked forward to.

"Me, neither," Jim agreed quietly, thinking about a few changes in his life that had been less than stellar. There was a time not that long ago when his life hadn't exactly been a charmed one. About as far from it as he could get. But then he'd awakened one July morning and looked into the most magnificent eyes in the entire world. She'd changed his world for the better. He frowned at her, suddenly realizing that she still hadn't uttered a word and that she was still averting her face from everyone, almost as if she found the ground at their feet the most fascinating thing in the entire world.

"Well, change has always been pretty good to me," Honey spoke insistently, hoping to lighten the mood and infuse some of her natural optimism into the heavy atmosphere. It was so desperately needed. "I mean, I moved here a few summers ago, met the very best friends anyone could ever want in the entire world, joined an amazing club, had one grand adventure after another, and gained a full blooded adopted brother!" She sucked in a deep breath to compose her quick rumble of words and then declared, "Who could ask for anything more?"

"Not me," Trixie answered softly, speaking for the first time in almost an hour. A few tears slipped from her luminescent eyes. She wiped them away before lifting her head, not wanting anyone to see her weakness. Her lips trembled with a wobbly smile. "We've had the best time ever. Truly, we have."

Grateful she'd finally spoken, Jim slipped an arm around her waist, tugging her closer into the group. He immediately felt better having her near him. Although he wouldn't admit it aloud, he recognized the absolute truth. From deep within his soul, he knew that he was going to miss her the most. "That we have," he agreed immediately, looking down at her bent head and grinning at the haphazard halo of blonde curls. Their earlier swimming had made the curls more chaotic and tangled than normal.

"And it will only get better," Honey continued bravely, swiping away a few more tears of her own. "We all know that. Really, we do. It's just…it's just…" Her voice trailed off unexpectedly as she was unable to put into words exactly what she wanted to.

"There's a last time for everything," Di whispered lowly into the night air, her lovely violet-colored eyes roaming over the faces of her friends. Understanding and immediate agreement met her gaze. "There is. And this is that last time for us."

"Yeah. That's it exactly." Mart squeezed her hand tightly; proud that she was the one who'd been able to vocalize what everyone was feeling. "It's the last time for us just as we are. Right here. Right now."

Things would change, starting tomorrow. Jim nodded his head in complete understanding. About to voice his agreement, he looked down at the girl tucked under his arm. Her curl, the one he had dubbed his years ago, fell across her face. He didn't tug it; not this time. Instead, he brushed it aside and earned a little smile for his effort. The smile touched her eyes, just a little. Just enough to chase away the sorrow at his leaving. A spear of gratitude shot through him. He'd much rather see her happy instead of sad.

"Well…" Brian stopped as the silence descended on them yet again, cleared his throat, and then restarted, "Do you…ah…think we should put out the fire? I hate to say it but it's getting late. We have a pretty early morning tomorrow."

Trixie dropped her head back on Jim's chest, savoring the feeling of him next to her for a few moments more. She unconsciously memorized how it made it her feel. Safe. Protected. Valued. The normal effervescent quality that was such an inherent part of Trixie was missing from her voice as she agreed reluctantly, "Yeah, you're right. We should probably head home."

"I got it." Volunteering immediately, almost pathetically grateful to have something constructive to do, Dan went to take care of the mundane task of putting out the fire while the others started tidying up their area.

Honey watched as the fire was put out. The light disappeared slowly. Smoke billowed peacefully, dissipating into the air. She felt the loss of the fire immediately. Shivering in spite of the warm summer temperature, she wrapped her arms around herself. Turning to her friend, she offered, "We can give you a ride home, Di, if you'd like."

Di agreed with a quick nod of her head. She picked up her beach bag and slid it over her shoulder. Her pretty purple towel dangled over the opening. "Sounds good, Honey. Beldens, we'll see all of you tomorrow morning."

"Bright and early," Mart reminded her with an easy grin. Her answering smile made him feel like he'd just won the lottery. Whistling, he started off in the direction of the Belden abode, Brian following a step behind. He stopped long enough to call out, "Have a good night, guys! Bring your appetite tomorrow morning! You're going to need it!"

Trixie brought up the rear. Stopping at the beginning of the path, she turned to watch the other four walk in the opposite direction, towards the Manor House. A small grin graced her face. She could hear Dan teasing Honey and Di about something, making the two girls giggle. She actually chuckled in response. She knew they could count on Dan to keep their spirits up in the upcoming days. It would be a tough adjustment. Then her eyes focused on the tall redhead following a few steps behind them and she wasn't capable of rational thought. Only the pain at how much it would hurt when he left. She was going to miss him. So very much.

Jim glanced over his shoulder, meeting the beautiful blue eyes across the way. Twin tendrils of smoke rose from the fire pit, swirling like two dancers as they made their way up into the night sky. He paused, watching her for a long moment of time. If they'd been closer, if it hadn't been so dark out, she would have been able to see every secret he was keeping from her. He couldn't hide it; not right now. She was young, still too young, but he knew from the bottom of his heart that they would end up together. They simply had to. He couldn't imagine his life without her. For the first time all evening, a true grin tugged at his lips as he nodded once at her. When her smile bloomed beautifully in response, his heart gave a little lurch. She lifted a hand in farewell and then quickly turned on her heels to catch up with her brothers, not wanting to be left behind in the dark. He watched her leave, knowing exactly what the last thing he would do tomorrow before he left for college. He'd give his curl one last tug. Then he turned and headed up the path.


End file.
